Menopause Week

By Nurse Diane

I recently celebrated a milestone birthday.  As I began to approach the half-century mark, one major thought entered my mind.  I was so excited about the prospect of ending my menstruation cycle and starting Menopause.  For the first couple of months at the start of the year, I had no period, so I began to dream of wearing white pants again.  However, that was not to be the case.  My cycle returned with a vengeance, and my shopping for white has once again been postponed. I have however started to experience some of the signs of menopause.

Some of the signs that Menopause has begin to occur include:

• Menstrual periods that occur less often and eventually stop
• Heart pounding or racing
• Hot flashes, usually worst during the first 1-2 years
• Night sweats
• Skin flushing
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)
• Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
• Forgetfulness (in some women)
• Headaches
• Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
• Urine leakage
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
• Vaginal infections
• Joint aches and pains
• Irregular heartbeat

Treatment:

There is no way to prevent the occurrence of Menopause; it is a natural process of aging.  Some measures you can take to help ease the symptoms include:

There are other medicines available to help with mood swings, hot flashes, and other symptoms. These include:

• Antidepressants
• A blood pressure medicine
• A seizure drug that also helps reduce hot flashes

DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES

Hormones are not always needed to reduce symptoms of menopause. There are many steps you can take to reduce symptoms.

Diet changes:.

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods
• Eat soy foods. Soy contains estrogen
• Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D in food or supplements

Exercise and relaxation techniques:.

• Get plenty of exercise.
• Do Kegel exercise every day. They strengthen the muscles of your vagina and pelvis.
• Practice slow, deep breathing whenever a hot flash starts to come on. Try taking six breaths a minute.
• Try yoga, tai chi, or meditation.

Other tips:

• Dress lightly and in layers.
• Keep having sex.
• Use water-based lubricants or a vaginal moisturizer during sex.
• See an acupuncture specialist.

This is World Menopause Week.  If you are experiencing "the change" or know someone who is, remember to have patience and give support and encouragement.  Before you know it they will be back to their old self in no time (maybe).

(Images from Google) 

World Menopause Month

(Google Image) 

Nurse Diane

Almost every afternoon I got to visit my father and sit in his workshop and watch television.  Lately it’s been very cool in the northern states, but here in the south, a cool spell starts at 75 degrees.  Last week I show up at my father's wearing my usual attire of shorts, when it seems really warm in his shop.  He had just installed an air condition unit, so I know that was working ok.  As I sat down in my normal seat, it hit me.  There was a heater on right in front of me!!!  I asked my father if he was cold …and he said I get hot, then cold, and back and forth...so I told him he must be going through the change.

The change I was referring to is of course Menopause.  This causes me to wonder why all women's problems begin with MEN...menopause, menstruation, and mental illness.

(Google Image) 

Menopause can lead to a variety of age-related diseases including heart disease and osteoporosis. Moreover, symptoms of menopause can have a truly negative impact on the quality of daily life. By tightening our reigns on these issues, we can keep them in check so we can continue living strong, meaningful and long lives. For World Menopause Month, learn what the biggest threats to your health are at menopause and ways to prevent them according to redhotmamas.org.

(Google Image) 

It’s a woman’s world these days and we are fortunate to be living in a time where we no longer have to suffer from menopause in silence and alone. The old, negative, hushed attitudes of menopause have been thrown to the wayside. We are no longer are fed the line, “it’s all in your head”. Through public awareness and modern research, menopause symptoms are taken seriously and considered very real. Advanced and innovative treatments are now available that provide us with the quality healthcare we need to control symptoms and conditions related to menopause.

(Google Image) 

Armed with knowledge from friends, family, menopause support groups like Red Hot Mamas and your healthcare provider, you can tackle the uneasiness of the transition.

(Google Image) 

World Menopause Week

(Google Image) 

By Diane Forrest, RN

I remember growing up watching Little House on the Prairie.  It was a show about the lives of settlers in a small community and their daily struggles with life in the wilderness.  The show focused around Ma and Pa Ingles and their 3 daughters and their life on the farm. One story was about Ma Ingles.  She has missed her monthly cycle, and had gone to visit old Dr. Baker with the suspicions that she was pregnant.   She was worried about being pregnant, their family was large enough and the cost of another child would be a burden that she wasn't happy to accept.  After her visit to the doctor, she learned that not only was she not pregnant, but she was going through "the change" and would never be able to have another child again.  Now you think she would have been happy with this news, but quite the contrary.   She believed that with the loss of her ability to conceive, she had lost her "womanhood" and her function for being.

(Google Image) 

This was a heart wrenching episode, and of course Pa Ingles was right beside her to comfort her and ensure her that her reason for being was not over, that he and the family depended on her for so much more, and his love for her had not changed.  Many women still the ability to produce a child as their main function in life, and it is devastating to them when the time of Menopause enters their life.

(Google Image) 

Some of the signs that Menopause has begun to occur include:

• Menstrual periods that occur less often and eventually stop
• Heart pounding or racing
• Hot flashes, usually worst during the first 1-2 years
• Night sweats
• Skin flushing
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)
• Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
• Forgetfulness (in some women)
• Headaches
• Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
• Urine leakage
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
• Vaginal infections
• Joint aches and pains
• Irregular heartbeat

(Google Image) 

There is no way to prevent the occurrence of Menopause; it is a natural process of aging.  Some measures you can take to help ease the symptoms include:

• There are other medicines available to help with mood swings, hot flashes, and other symptoms. These include:
• Antidepressants
• A blood pressure medicine
• A seizure drug that also helps reduce hot flashes

(Google Image) 

DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES

Hormones are not always needed to reduce symptoms of menopause. There are many steps you can take to reduce symptoms.

Diet changes:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods
• Eat soy foods. Soy contains estrogen
• Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D in food or supplements

Exercise and relaxation techniques:

• Get plenty of exercise.
• Do Kegel exercises every day. They strengthen the muscles of your vagina and pelvis.
• Practice slow, deep breathing whenever a hot flash starts to come on. Try taking six breaths a minute.
• Try yoga, tai chi, or meditation.

Other tips:

• Dress lightly and in layers.
• Keep having sex.
• Use water-based lubricants or a vaginal moisturizer during sex.
• See an acupuncture specialist.

This is World Menopause Week.  If you are experiencing "the change" or know someone who is, remember to have patience and give support and encouragement.

Before you know it they will be back to their old self in no time.

(Google Image) 

World Menopause Week

by Diane Forrest, RN

Today we are recognizing World Menopause Week June 8 - 12. Who knew there was a whole week dedicated to Menopause??? I was a little wary about researching and writing this article as I am approaching this stage in my life. I thought I would open with a joke...but I couldn't find much that others were laughing about. However one of my favorite quotes is...MENtal illness, MENstrual cramps,MENtal breakdown, MENopause, did u ever realize how all our problems start with men?

Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether this usually lasts 1 to 3 years. Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

Common symptoms of menopause include:

• Heart pounding or racing
  
• Hot flashes
  
• Night sweats
  
• Skin flushing
  
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)
  

Other symptoms of menopause may include:

• Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
  
• Forgetfulness (in some women)
  
• Headaches
  
• Irregular menstrual periods
  
• Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
  
• Urine leakage
  
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
  
• Vaginal infections
  
• Joint aches and pains
  
• Irregular heartbeat
  

Tests:

• Blood and urine tests are done to check for changes in hormone levels
  
• Pelvic exam to check for changes in the vaginal wall
  

Treatment
With severe symptoms of Menopause, some women may be prescribed hormone therapy Several major studies have questioned the health benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy, including the risk of developing breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

The good news is that you can take many steps to reduce your symptoms without taking hormones:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods
  
• Dress lightly and in layers
  
• Get adequate calcium and vitamin D in food or supplements
  
• Get plenty of exercise
  

Prevention:
Menopause is a natural and expected part of a woman's development and cannot be prevented, but made you look (grin).



You will feel better by learning all you can about menopause and talking with your doctor about your health and your symptoms. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or concern, your doctor can teach you about treatment options and help you to make wise choices.









Note from Terry.  While we have covered a very difficult topic and included several cartoons and pictures to find some humor in this very tough condition.  My wife continues to deal with this after six years and my only advice to others is to be understanding, give your wife, mother, who ever lots of room and be forgiving for some of her actions and words.